Annabel's soffritto( MAKES 6-7 cups )

Soffritto is a mixture of aromatic vegetables that forms the starting point for the majority of dishes in the repertoire of Italian home cooks, and, in various flavour variations, for good cooking in so many cuisines. When making a soup or stew, cook the mixture just until it softens and smells aromatic, but for a pasta sauce cook it down until the vegetables practically disappear, leaving a thick, pasty texture with a ton of flavour. Add other vegetables such as carrots or fennel and even some bacon, depending on what you are using it for. To speed the prep, coarsely chop the vegetables then pulse to a coarse dice in a food processor. It freezes well.

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